A license allows authorized users rights to content and (ideally) prevents unauthorized users from using content. For example, a software license agreement grants a user (or group of users) permission to use software from a software producer (or vendor, reseller, and so on). A user may be any legal entity (such a company that purchases software for employee use), an individual, a computing device interfacing with software, an “end user,” and so on. One common license for end users is called an End User License Agreement (EULA). Generally, the license specifies the parameters of permission granted by an owner (such as a software producer) to a user (such as an end user). Often, these parameters assign definite and rigid terms of use, such as assigning a definite and pre-defined number of end users rights when providing a license for purchased software.
Generally, a digital content source (such as a producer, reseller, vendor, and so on) receives a request from a buyer (such as an end user or corporation) to purchase or license digital content. Once purchased, the source provides the digital content to the buyer. The source may provide the digital content and a license to the digital content to the buyer. The buyer may then use the digital content according to the rights defined in the license agreement between the source and the buyer.
For example, there are various areas in which digital content is bought or sold via the purchase of electronic objects. Some of this content includes software, music files, audio books, video files such as movies, digital objects in massive multiplayer role playing games, and so on.
Content sources attempt to ensure that users of content have paid for or otherwise have a right to their content. Many licensing systems have been developed for such attempts, providing registration requirements, security keys (such as a user password), or other digital rights management schemes.
For example, a key may indicate that a company purchased ten licenses for software on the WINDOWS operating environment and five licenses for software on a UNIX environment. When an end user wants to the use the software, a digital rights management program verifies that the end user is from the company that purchased the ten licenses for software on the WINDOWS operating environment. However, should more than ten users want to use the software on WINDOWS, they may not be able to do so, as their key only provides access for ten users.
Thus, one problem with existing licensing systems is that entities often may not realize how many end users will eventually require access to software when the company purchases the software or other digital content. Additionally, the company may not know the operating systems of their end users, or the number of computers (e.g., many users now have a desktop at work and a laptop for home use), or the needs of users may simply change over time. Under existing systems, a company may receive a license with rigid use parameters, such as those described above, and be unable to facilitate its users with the existing license.
Because of existing license structures, users often find themselves having license agreements that are no longer needed or desired. Typically, a user will receive a new license with each purchase of digital content. As new digital content is created or updated by sources, users may wish to part with the older, outdated, or no longer useful digital content they own. However, due to a variety of reasons, such as financial reasons, users may not be able to justify purchasing new digital content when they still own older, less desirable digital content. Thus, typical licensing systems, including but not limited to the systems in the above example, may not meet or be created to consider the needs of users.
These and other problems exist with respect to existing licensing systems.
In the drawings, the same reference numbers and acronyms identify elements or acts with the same or similar functionality for ease of understanding and convenience. To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the Figure number in which that element is first introduced (e.g., element 1120 is first introduced and discussed with respect to FIG. 11).